St. Joseph County Commissioners have vetoed a bill that would have let seniors defer part of their property taxes.
The county council last week passed the bill with all five Republicans voting yes. It would let homeowners age 55 and older defer up to $500 of their property taxes annually, up to $10,000 total. Republican council member Amy Drake has said it’s aimed at the poorest seniors living on fixed incomes who’ve paid off their homes but are struggling to pay their rising property tax bill.
But Commissioners on Tuesday voted 3-0 to veto the bill. Democratic Commissioner Rafael Morton said he sat down with the county auditor, treasurer, assessor and recorder, and they all opposed the idea.
“People may be confused about this bill and look at it as an actual reduction when in essence it’s nothing more than a deferral," Morton says. "And it also puts a lien on your property which could, potentially, put you in a position not to receive a home improvement loan, something like that.”
But Drake says some seniors are suffering, and she’s more interested in giving them relief than she’s worried about their heirs having to pay off the deferred taxes.
“We’re looking at the at-risk senior and helping that person stay in his or her home so that it doesn’t end up in a tax sale and they don’t end up out of their homes," Drake says.
Drake says she’s checking with state officials on whether commissioners have authority to veto the bill, since the statute that enables it empowers the county’s fiscal body to enact it.
